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Elance Blog

Guest Post: 4 Tips for Choosing the Right Freelancer for Your Business.

e_darrellj | Jun 06, 2013

Occasionally we invite professionals to wax poetic about issues of importance to clients who hire on Elance. Here are some thoughts from David Bakke, a small business owner who writes about money management and productivity on the blog Money Crashers Personal Finance.

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In small business ownership, cutting costs is key. While you can certainly benefit by marketing your business through social media free of charge, there are many other ways that you can save - and one major way to save is by enlisting the services of affordable, productive freelancers.

Make a good choice, and your small business will benefit significantly. To help you choose wisely, here are five tips:

Be sure to read each freelancer’s feedback on Elance, and ask for references from people you’re consider hiring. Also be sure to contact references to learn how well the candidate performed on previous projects. Inquire whether all deadlines were met, and how well the candidate performed on specific areas of a similar project that are most important to you.

3. Institute a Stringent Interview Process.

Once you narrow down your search to two or three candidates, you must begin a comprehensive interview process. This is especially important, since you're unable to meet face-to-face with the individual. Phone interviews make a fine starting point, and you can also schedule video interviews via Skype. Prepare a detailed set of open-ended questions, and don't be afraid to ask for more information or for the candidate to expand on his or her answers.

4. Explicitly Define Your Goals.

You'll never hire the right person for the job unless you clearly outline what you expect. This explanation should include a time-frame and any other specific requirements you may have. If a freelancer doesn't clearly understand what is expected, they can't provide satisfactory results.